Need To Know

Innovacorp is an early-stage venture capital organization that helps new Nova Scotian entrepreneurs launch their technology start-ups. The company is a designated organization with Citizenship and Immigration Canada’s (CIC) Start-up Visa program pilot project, which runs until 2018. The program allows angel investors, venture capital firms, and business incubators to …

New immigrants are one of the key demographics driving demand for apartment rental in the Atlantic Provinces, says a recent study by real estate consultant, counsellor, and broker Turner, Drake and Partners Ltd. “Immigrant inflows to the area fluctuated dramatically from 1991 to 2006, however in the last decade, trends …

Since January, 42 new students from Syria started attending Duc d’Anville Elementary school in Clayton Park. The school already featured a diverse population as about 40 per cent of the 300 plus students speak English as a second language. “We’re used to having people from diverse backgrounds,” says principal Ken …

Over the past few months the world has watched as Canada welcomed 25,000 Syrian refugees. Service providers in Halifax prepared to meet increased demand for settlement support of these newcomers, with the YMCA focusing on children and youth. The first days and months of a child’s experience in a new …

There are many ways for newcomers to make business connections, but any strategies used need to include community engagement. When navigating a new business environment, newcomers first have to understand it within the context of their new home through research and networking events. “Most people tend to be very dependent …

Last year, because of the civil war in Syria, those numbers jumped. The government of Canada opened the doors to 26,213 Syrian refugees (as of April 7) and according to the latest government statistics, 940 of those came to Nova Scotia, including 876 in Halifax. Historically, immigration to Nova Scotia …

Chen Qing didn’t like his job. Going door-to-door making appointments for a student painting company and earning just $10 per appointment booked meant a lot of effort for little return, especially while attending Saint Mary’s University. It wasn’t the experience he imagined when he came to Halifax from China in …

Many immigrants to Nova Scotia arrive with the passion to start a business, but while they may bring the drive to succeed, they can lack the local knowledge to find success. That’s where the Immigrant Services Association of Nova Scotia (ISANS) can help. Even newcomers who arrive speaking English might …

The YMCA of Halifax can be a great resource for newcomers to Halifax. In addition to providing programs for youth and children that can help them make friends in their new home, the YMCA will help immigrants connect to a professional network. Barbara Miller Nix, the chief operating officer of …

Nova Scotia offers immigrants with permanent residence status many opportunities to build out the workplace experience portions of their resumes. The Department of Labour and Advanced Education offers several programs, including START, which provides incentives to small- and medium-sized employers to hire individuals requiring work experience. Another, One Journey Work …